The Changing Ratio Among the Arms in the
French Army During World War I

Briefing: The First Armored Divisions

Old
Soldier's Story: Teddy Roosevelt Storms San Juan Hill

Infinite Wisdom

Nothing concentrates the mind so much as the discovery that
you have walked into an ambush. Thomas Packenham, British
historian.

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La
Triviata

Despite their desperate pleas, the Roman Emperor Augustus (reigned 27 B.C. - A.D. 14) once refused to send troops to assist the people of the Balearic Islands in battling an invasion, perhaps because he thought it beneath the dignity of Roman soldiers to fight an infestation of rabbits.

Declaring that "Many battles have been fought and won by soldiers nourished on beer, and the king does not believe that coffee drinking soldiers can be depended upon," in 1777 Frederick the Great barred his troops from imbibing of the latter beverage.

Although there have been all sorts of technological advances, since World War II there has been virtually no change in the tactical formations which tanks use in combat.

The daily ration of an English solider during the late fifteenth century included two-thirds of a gallon of beer.

During the 1970's a Swedish-based "peace" organization did some research on the lethality of military ammunition, and concluded that the US/NATO 5.56mm M-16 round was "inhumane" because it broke into small fragments when it hit a person, but quickly ended its planned propaganda campaign against the West when it was pointed out that the larger Swedish 7.62mm round had the same effect, only worse.

On an average day the Coast Guard saves 14 lives, undertakes 200 search and rescue missions, engages in over 30 hazardous materials clean-ups, and seizes $10 million in illegal narcotics.

In 1879 the Bolivian Army had 1,671 enlisted men, who were commanded by a remarkable 690 officers, for an enlisted-to-officer ratio of 2.4:1.

Designed in Russia in 1915, the Tsar, an early armored combat vehicle, ran about 40 tons, had two front wheels 9 meters in diameter plus two tiny rear wheels, and two 250-horsepower engines, one for each of the two main wheels, and never but action.

Napoleon made it a point personally to sign the marriage contracts of all officers in the French Army of the rank of colonel and above.